The Moon, in Astrology, is the ruler of Cancer. The Moon represents our deepest personal needs, our basic habits and reactions, and our unconscious. The Moon reflects the power of the inner light, channelling and moulding it into the shape of your personality. While the Sun in astrology stands for the character, or ego-self, the Moon displays your nature in a way that can be grasped by the outer world. Ruling desire as opposed to self, or need as opposed to reason, she indicates your feelings about yourself; how you handle relationships and your emotional response to situations and experiences.

Where the Sun acts, the Moon reacts. How do we instinctively react or respond to problems? What do we feel we need for a sense of security? Look to the Moon in your natal chart for answers.

The Moon manages the flow of your daily functions: physical, emotional and mental. The Moon symbolises your home base and domestic environment, representing babies and young children, your mother and other important women in your life. In a man's horoscope the Moon also symbolises the wife, or significant other. Speaking more esoterically, the Moon rules the older, deeply set patterns of behaviour, the habits we so naturally fall into. The Moon governs the emotional personality and gives a good picture of the way your thoughts are influenced by your emotions.

For some of us, our Moons seem to drive our personalities more than the Sun does. This is particularly true if the Moon is in a water sign (Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces), or if it is conjunct an angle in the chart (near the Ascendant, Descendant, 4th house cusp, or 10th house cusp). For true happiness in life, it is wise to neither give your Moon too much or too little importance in your life.

The Moon is the Earth's only natural satellite, even though in astrology we still call the Moon a planet ("wanderer"). The Moon's Nodes are also very important. This zone of power, also known as the Dragon's Head and Tail, is an axis of energy, comprising opposing sensitive points in the horoscope that hold deep pools of karmic intensity.

In the natal chart, the position of the Moon by sign shows how we emote and respond to our environment, as well as our instinctual habits, especially in our homes and in private. By house, the Moon's position shows which areas of life we feel the most "at home" or comfortable.